Headrest



K. LILLESO HEADREST June 27, 1967 Filed March 3, 1966 INVENTOR Mme] LH/esfl ATTORNEYS K. LILLESO June 27, 1967 HEADREST 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1966 INVENTOR Kmzo 111/8 5 d ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,328,082 HEADREST Knud Lilleso, 17 Valdemarsgade, Copenhagen, Denmark Filed Mar. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 531,403 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 5, 1965, 9,409/65 14 Claims. (Cl. 297399) The present invention relates to headrests.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide a novel and improved headrest which especially, but not exclusively, is adapted to be used in motor cars.

More specifically it is the purpose of the invention to provide an adjustable headrest of substantial versatility.

It is a further purpose of the invention to provide an adjustable headrest in which a substantial part of the mechanism is completely enclosed in the pillow body of the headrest, whereby a source of danger in the case of accidents is substantially eliminated.

The invention will be further described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mechanism of a headrest according to the invention with the pillow shown in dotted lines,

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through a part of the mechanism,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the centrally located part of the supporting structure for the pillow,

' FIG. 4 is a cross-section through the pillow,

FIG. 5 is a cross-section through a modified embodiment of the pillow,

FIG. 6 is a section in similarity with FIG. 2 through a modified embodiment and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a part of the adjustment mechanism in a further embodiment.

The headrest shown in FIG. 1 has a pillow body 10 in the form of a generally cylindrical member of a crosssection which preferably is oval or egg-shaped.

The pillow body is mounted on the top of the back rest 12 of a motor car seat in a position in which the periphery of the pillow is substantially in engagement with the top of the seat 12.

The pillow body is supported on a frame 14 which by means of a 'manually operable mechanism is tiltably mounted and which is substantially completely enclosed within the exterior confines of the pillow 10.

More specifically, the frame 14 is U-shaped with a middle portion 16 and end portions 18 and 20 adjacent the ends of which the frame is mounted for swinging movement about an axis slightly above the top of the backrest 12 of the seat and adjacent the periphery of the pillow.

The axis is the geometrical axis of a shaft 22 which extends between bracket members 24 and 26 on the top of each one of a pair of clamping members 28 and 30 by means of which the pillow structure is mounted on the backrest 12. The clamping members 28 and 30 may be a pair of leaf springs which are bent to fit tight over the backrest of the seat so as to hold the entire structure in position.

The end portions 18 and 20 of the frame 14 are provided with holes substantially corresponding to the exterior diameter of the stationary shaft 22 so as to enable the frame to swing or tilt about the shaft and thereby to adjust the pillow in position relatively to the top of the backrest 12 in accordance with individual requirements.

In order to adjust the frame 14 in a plurality of tilted positions a latch mechanism is provided having an arcuate member 32 firmly secured on the bracket member 26 and having adjacent its periphery a plurality of holes "ice adapted to be selectively engaged by a latch pin 34 on the frame portion 18.

In order to release the latch mechanism the frame 14 is supposed to be of resilient material and in the bracket member 26 a reciprocable pin 36 is mounted having an abutment 38 which is movable in a pair of slots 40 in the shaft member 22 so that when pressing on a control knob 42 the frame portion 18 will be slightly bent away from the arcuate portion 32 whereby the pin 34 will be brought out of engagement with that one of the holes into which it was engaged so as to enable the frame to tilt and thereby change the adjusted position of the pillow body,

The frame and preferably the entire mechanism is substantially completely enclosed within the exterior confines of the pillow body.

In the embodiment described, the pillow body is at least at its central portion provided with an elongated slot which extends from its periphery and in which the frame is received.

The pillow body is preferably made of an elastic material, such as polyurethane foam. With an average diameter of the pillow of for example 8", this means that there will be about 4" of foam material between the surface of the pillow and the central portion 16 of the frame. Obviously it is also possible to construct the frame so that there is a sufiiciently thick layer of foam material at each end of the frame. The only part of the mechanism which must be available is the knob 42 but obviously it will be possible also to keep this knob inside the exterior confines of the pillow. By way of example, the knob 42 may be in the form of a relatively large disc-shaped memthat inside this portion a channel her of resilient material, such as nylon so that the release of the mechanism can be made only by pressing on the end of the pillow, without the necessity of having any part of the mechanism extending outside the pillow.

If the pillow is made of very soft material it may be possible to feel the central portion 16 of the frame through the pillow. In order to prevent this and also in order to prevent that the frame member 16 becomes a source of damage in case of accident, the middle portion 16 may, as shown in FIG. 3, be surrounded by a sleeve 17 such as a tube of soft or semi-soft material.

In addition or alternatively the pillow body itself may be in the form of a composite structure as shown in FIG.-4, comprising an interior portion 10B of a material of relatively high density and an exterior portion 10A of a material of a lower density and great softness. FIG. 4 also illustrates that the slot 11 through which the frame structure is introduced into the pillow body extends to the periphery of the portion 10B of higher density and 13 is provided to receive the cross member 16 of the frame.

Inasfar as the soft portion of the serves the purpose of comfort, it is not any soft portion at the back side and the pillow may therefore also be constructed in the manner shown in FIG. 5 with a substantial body portion 10D of material of relatively high density with a sheet 1013 secured to the front side thereof.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5 the sheet 10E has a depending portion 10F. FIG. 5 also illustrates the exterior cover 50 which has a pocket 52 in which the sheet portion 10F is received. The exterior cover is closed along the opening of the slot 11 by means of a zipper 54. The exterior cover may be of textile, leather, synthetic plastic or any other convenient material.

Due to the adjustment of the pillow body as provided by means of tilting, it is possible by a suitable oval or egg-shaped profile of the pillow body to obtain a substantial versatility and adaptability of the head rest to persons of different heights within certain limits.

pillow body only necessary to have A further increased versatility can be obtained by making the tiltable frame 14 adjustable up and down. A part of the mechanism which provides for such adjustability is shown in one embodiment in FIG. 7. On one of the stationary members 28 there is on the back side provided a pair of brackets 62 and 64 in which a suitable shaped rail member 66 on the top of which the bracket 24 is provided can slide. A plurality of holes 66 is provided in the slidable member 60, adapted to be engaged by a ball which is influenced by a spring (not shown).

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described. It will be obvious that instead of a manual releasable latch mechanism as shown in FIG. 2. it is possible to have any type of snap lock between the frame member 18 and the member '32 such as for example illustrated in FIG. 6, where a ball 56 under influence of a'spring 58 is adapted to engage the locking holes of the member 32.

It will be understood that also further modifications in various respects are possible within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A headrest adapted to be mounted on the top of the backrest of a seat, comprising, a pillow body and a position adjustment structure, said pillow body having an elongated slot extending along one side for receiving said position adjustment structure, said position adjustment structure including, a first structure portion extending in said pillow body, a second structure portion adapted to be mounted on the top of the backrest of the seat, means operable to tilt said first structure portion relative to said second structure portion, and locking means operable to lock said first structure portion in a plurality of tilted positions relative to said second structure portion, said locking means extending from said second structure portion in the direction of said first structure portion so as to be positioned inside said pillow body with said first structure portion.

2. A headrest as defined in claim 1, in which said first structure portion is rotatably mounted about an. axis adjacent and substantially parallel with the side of the pillow body having said elongated slot.

3. A headrest as defined in claim 2 wherein said position adjustment structure includes a shaft mounted on said second structure portion, and the first structure portion is in the form of a frame member, having a middle portion extending substantially parallel with the side of the pillow body having said elongated slot and having side portions the ends of which are mounted on said shaft, said shaft forming the axis about which said first structure portion is rotatably mounted.

4. A headrest as defined in claim 3 in which said first structure portion is in the form of a substantially U-shaped frame.

5. A headrest as defined in claim 4 wherein said first structure portion is made of resilient material, and said locking means includes a stationary portion provided on said second structure portion and a complementary portion provided on said first structure portion.

'6. A headrest as defined in claim '2, wherein the extension of said first structure portion from its axis of rotation is not more than half of the thickness of the pillow body measured along a line perpendicular to said axis coextensive with and extending from said first structure portion.

7. A headrest as defined in claim 3, including a sleeve of relatively soft material surrounding the middle portion of the frame member.

8. A headrest as defined in claim 3, wherein the length of said shaft is shorter than that of the pillow body measured along a line parallel to the elongated slot of said pillow body.

9. A headrest as defined in claim 1, wherein said pillow body is made of ,a synthetic resinous foam material.

10. A headrest as defined in claim 9, wherein said pillow body includes a composite structure of foam material having a first portion of relatively high density foam extending from the edge of the elongated slot into which said position adjustment structure extends surrounding said first structural portion, and a second portion of relatively low density material substantially surrounding said first foam portion.

11. A headrest as defined in claim 9 including an exterior casing enclosing said pillow body, said casing having said means operable to close a substantial part of the length of said slot through which the position adjustment structure extends into the pillow body.

12. A headrest as defined in claim 1, wherein said pillow body is in the form of an elongated body of substantially egg-shaped cross-section.

13. A headrest as defined in claim 5, wherein said position adjustment structure includes manually operable means positioned in said pillow body for disengaging said complementary locking means from said stationary lockmg means.

14. A headrest as defined in claim 1, wherein said second structure portion includes means operable to adjust the height of said first structure portion relative to the top of the backrest of said seat including fastening means operable to retain the height of said first structure at various selected positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,930,867 10/1933 West 297403 X 2,765,840 10 1956 Robert et a1. 297--410 X 2,990,008 6/1961 Bien 297397 3,029,107 4/ 1962 Myers 297399 3,06=2,5 86 11/ 1962 Rowland 297-399 3,101,217 8/1963 Requa 297397 3,140,559 7/1964 Grow et al 1086 3,205,005 9/ 1965 Brown 2.97397 3,226,159 12/ 1965 Binding 297-397 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HEADREST ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF THE BACKREST OF A SEAT, COMPRISING, A PILLOW BODY AND A POSITION ADJUSTMENT STRUCTURE, SAID PILLOW BODY HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT EXTENDING ALONG ONE SIDE FOR RECEIVING SAID POSITION ADJUSTMENT STRUCTURE, SAID POSITION ADJUSTMENT STRUCTURE INCLUDING, A FIRST STRUCTURE PORTION EXTENDING IN SAID PILLOW BODY, A SECOND STRUCTURE PORTION ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF THE BACKREST OF THE SEAT, MEANS OPERABLE TO TILT SAID FIRST STRUCTURE PORTION RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND STRUCTURE PORTION, AND LOCKING MEANS OPERABLE TO LOCK SAID FIRST STRUCTURE PORTION IN A PLURALITY OF TILTED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND STRUCTURE PORTION, SAID LOCKING MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID SECOND STRUCTURE 